Oil & Fuel To use additives or not?

[Gary Fowler]

Each to his own, I have not used any additive to my fuel in 6 years. No anti-gel, no supposedly friction reduces or cetane boosters, no algaecide, nothing. Of course it never gets below 15F here (coldest I have seen it in 2014)and even then, neither me nor my brother in law have not had any issues with fuel or fuel components. I just keep my fuel tank inside my boat shed that is totally enclosed, but my brother in law just has his stuck under an open on 2 sides shed and hasn't even changed his bulk fuel tank filter in 6 years either. We also use what ever fuel that is brought when our tanks are empty year round whether it is winter or summer blend(don't know if they actually sell a winter blend here).

Much of the additives are snake oil and folks who use them can honestly say that they haven't had any problems, but it is hard to prove that you wouldn't have any problems by not using them either. With the exception of an anti-gel agent for you folks that get -49F temps, then most of the other stuff is really not needed for a modern engine that is designed to run on ultra low sulfur fuel.

If you are exposing your storage container to hot and cold fluctuations that may cause condensation to cause water in your tank, then an algaecide would be a good preventative measure also. I personally don't have any issue with water so I don't need that chemical which is a good thing because I have not seen any thing on automotive supply house shelves saying algaecide for diesel.

 

[oldpilgrim]

My feeling is that if you live in a place where it doesn't get frigid, then an additive is probably optional, but I'm real glad I use it as -9 F winters can raise heck with diesel gelling. It got that cold here this past winter an I had zero issues.. I'm not sure that would have been the case without it.

 

[buickanddeere]

Why not just use winter diesel in cold weather ?

 

[oldpilgrim]

I've heard of people still having issues with that.

 

[DieselMonk]

If lubrication of the diesel fuel itself is a concern, just add TCW-3 ash less two stroke oil for outboard water craft engines at a ratio anywhere between a 100 to 200:1. It will quiet the injectors down too.
Our furnace oil isn't quite the same here in N.S. as it is in Maine. With furnace oil here, the tractor will smoke more and the injectors are louder. So I add the cheapest TCW3 two stroke oil I can find (Walyword).
BY the time I add PowerService and the TCW3 stuff, I can almost buy normal diesel fuel.
As more soot you are blowing out of the pipe, as faster you need to change the engine oil. So I never run straight furnace oil in the winter. My cheap Canadian 2 cents worth...

 

[sd455dan]

If lubrication of the diesel fuel itself is a concern, just add TCW-3 ash less two stroke oil for outboard water craft engines at a ratio anywhere between a 100 to 200:1. It will quiet the injectors down too.
Our furnace oil isn't quite the same here in N.S. as it is in Maine. With furnace oil here, the tractor will smoke more and the injectors are louder. So I add the cheapest TCW3 two stroke oil I can find (Walyword).
BY the time I add PowerService and the TCW3 stuff, I can almost buy normal diesel fuel.
As more soot you are blowing out of the pipe, as faster you need to change the engine oil. So I never run straight furnace oil in the winter. My cheap Canadian 2 cents worth...

They tested 2 stroke oil in the article, there was question of whether it would have done better with a lower mix ratio ( --/1) than what was used.